Pumping apparatus



June 22, 1965 E. v. NIEL SEN PUMPING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1, 1963 R 2 mN .m w 2 F m m5 ,4 a H u 4. LIL w- L T /x 9 5 a x )2 a a v. z I. wm w Am p a WW, 7 9 fl 1 i h m M v g w f g 4 \A A/ 7/ \\\\\\\x\\ m a Fm EDWARDv. NIELSEN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,190,230 PUMPING APPARATUSEdward V. Nielsen, Darien, Conn, asslgnor to Nicholas J. Totalo FiledNov. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 320,769 5 Claims. (Cl. 103-152) actuating linkageand the several pumping units operated by said linkage.

The various gravity actuated pumps previously proposed for removingbilge water from boats employ relatively expensive actuating means foroperating the various pumping units of the pump. Such actuating meanshave included vertical type pendulums, rolling Weights, etc. In thosedevices that have utilized a horizontal type pendulum as the actuatingmeans, a relatively complex means has in most cases been required forsupporting the several pumping units and/ or for obtaining the eflicientvalving of the latter.

One object of the instant invention is to provide a novel gravityactuated devicefor pumping bilge water from a boat whereby a very simplereliable and direct means is provided for efliciently supporting,valving and actuating several individual pumping units.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bilge pumphaving a horizontal actuating. pendulum and which has several pumpingchambers and novel interconnecting linkages between the pendulum and theseveral pumping chambers respectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bilge pumphaving a plurality of radially disposed pumping units that are coupledin a novel manner to an annular member that is rotatably mounted on aneccentric portion of a vertical main drive shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel bilge water pumphaving a-plurality of individual pumping units actuatedby a horizontalpendulum, the pumping units having each a novel valving arrangementwhich will permit the lodging of foreign particles such as sand in thevalve members, without causing a malfunction of the latter.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosureprogresses.

In the drawings: 7 V 7,

FIG. 1 is aplan view in partial section-illustrating one embodiment ofthe instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along section line 22 of FIG.1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a pump frame 10 which isadapted to be suitably mounted in a boat and which comprises ahorizontal rectangular base 11 having four upstanding sides 12, 13, 14and 15 secured thereto. A horizontal shaft supporting bearing or plate16 is fixedly mounted on base 11 by means of four vertical columns 17,20, 21 and 22 and associated Allen type screws 23. A vertically disposedmain shaft 24 is rotat ably mounted on the base 11 and plate 16 by meansof suitable bearings 25 and 26, hearing 26 being retained in an annularmember 27 secured tobase 11. The upper end of shaft 24 is formed with ahead 30 to which is fastened what will be referred to here as ahorizontal pendulum 31 that includes a radial arm 32 and an actuatorweight 33. As will be apparent when the pump frame 10 is tilted from ahorizontal condition by a rocking motion of the boat, the pendulum 31will swing through an arc to a low point determined by the direction oftilt and in so swinging will correspondingly rotatably actuate the mainshaft 24. Rotatably fixed to an 3,190,230 Patented June 22, 1965intermediate portion of the main shaft is a collar 34 that iseccentrically disposed with respect to the main shaft. Rotatably mountedon the cylindrical outer surface of collar 34 is a bearing 35, theflanged portion 36 of the collar serving to vertically support thebearing 35. Fixed to the outer portion of bearing 35 'is a connectingring 37 having a radially outer flanged portion 40 formed there-' on. r

The instant bilge pump is provided with a pair of pumping units 41 and42, and in thatthe construction and operation of each of the units issimilar, a detailed description of one thereof will sufiice here. Thepumping unit 41 comprises a main radially disposed cylinder block 43which is secured to the base 11 and which is formed with a cylindricalbore 44 therethrough. End sealing. plates 45 and 46 are secured by anysuitable means to the respective inner and outer ends of cylinder block43., Mounted for reciprocating movement'in the cylinder bore is a piston47 that is fastened vto a piston rod '50 by means of a washer 51 and anut 52, FIG. 2. A sealing connection is provided betweenthe piston andthe cylinder block, such connection comprising a flexible telescopingtubular element. 53 that may be made of rubber, plastic or a similarmaterial. One end of .the tubular element 53 is clamped in sealedrelation between the inner end of the cylinder block and the'plate 45while the other end thereof is clamped in sealed relation between theWasher 51 and the piston 47. The inner end of the piston rod 50 isarticulately connected by means ofa pin 54 to the outer end of aconnecting linkl55. The inner end of the link 55 is in turn articulatelycoupled by means of a pin 56 to the adjacent portion of said flangedportion 40 of ring 36. As may be readily seen when shaft 24 is caused torotate by reason of a swinging movement of the horizontal pendulum 31,the eccentric collar 34 will cause ring 36 to partake of an accuratep'recessional type movement which in turn will produce through thearticulate link 55 a reciprocatory motion of the piston 47 in thepumping cylinder.

, Suitable valving and fluid conducting lines are provided in thepumping unit 41. These include a water inlet passage 60 formed in theouter cylinder plate 46, said passage communicating at one end with theplastic water inlet hose or line 61 and at the'other end with a borel62which opengrinto the pumping cylinder 'or chamber 63'. A one way flappervalve member is operatively disposed between the inlet passage 62 andthe pumping chamber 63, said member. comprising a rubber like pad64frnounted' at one side thereof by a screw 65 to the inner face ofplate 46. The flexible valve pad is swingable towards and away from aninlet passage blocking position by differenable towards and away from anoutlet passage blocking position shown in FIG. 1 by differential fluidpressures. Through the outer wall of the cap member 70, there is formedan outlet bore 73 which operatively communicates with a suitable exhausthose or line 74. The inlet and outlet lines 61 and 74 are operativelycoupled to those fluid conducting passages in the pumping unit 42 whichrespectively correspond to passages 60 and 73 of the pumping unit 41.Lines 61 and 74 are also operatively coupled to the main inlet andoutlet lines 75 and 76 respectively, the remote end of line 75 beingdisposed in the region where the boat bilge water has collected and theremote end of the line 76 being disposed over the 'side rail or reartransom of the craft.

f In the operation of the instantdevice; an intake stroke i (adisplacement to the right 'as seen in FIG. 2) of the piston 47 willlower "the fluid pressure in the pumping V chamber '63 and such willcause valve 64 to open and valve 71 to close as'shown. This action willcauserwater to be drawn into chamber 63 through lines 75, 61 and'passages 60 and 6;. When the piston 47 is dis placed; in the oppositedirection through apumping stroke, the pressure in chamber 63willincrease so as to cause valve 64 to water in chamber 63 to -beforced out through passages 66,267, 7 3 and lines 74 and 76; By therepeated reciprocatory strokesof piston 47 caused by arcuateoscillations of the horizontal pendulum 31,water will be repeatedlyclose and valve-71 to open. This action willcausetthe pumped'frorn themain intakeline 7 5 into the main exhaust line 76. In this way therocking motion of the'boat effectively operates the instant pumpingdevice and thus' .prevents any appreciable amount of bilge water fromaccumulating in the bottomof the boat;

t It will be understood that the piston by means of'a link 55a, thisarrangement being similar to that described above for piston rod 50 andlink 55; andi that the operation ofpumping unit 42 will lag or lead Vr0d'50a of the: pumping unit 42 is articulately connected to the ring 36said flappertvalve members comprises a flexible pad that,

the operation of pumping unit 41 by 90 degrees depending'on whichdirection'the horizontal 'pendulum'31 happens to be swinging. v M It,should be understood that theforegoing disclosure relates only to'thepreferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to coverall changes and modifica- V tions of the example of the invention hereinchosen for illustrative purposes and which do not constitutedcparturesfrom the spirit and scopeof the'invention. The inventionc-laimed' is:

1. A gravity actuated pumpi com a main housing; p a substantiallyvertically disposed shaft rotatably mounted'in said main housing; t

'sing a substantially horizontally disposed pendulum secured to saidshaft; said pendulum being'free to swing under the'action of gravitywhen said housing istilted therei by rotatably actuating said shaft; i tcrank means connected to said shaft; a at least one pumping unitdisposed in said housing and operatively coupled to'said crank means soas to be actuated in response to the rotational movement of said shaft;t f f said pumping unit comprising a resilient diaphragm" that actuationthereof in predetermined phase relation to the 40 pumping action of saidfirst mentioned pumping unit in wards and away from an inlet passageblocking position so as to permittonly a fluid inlet flow' through saidinlet passage to said pumping unit; and

a second one way flapper valve member attached at one side thereof tosaid housing and adapted to swing towards and awayfrorn an outletpassage blocking position so. as to permit only a fluid outletflowthrough said outlet passage from said pumping unit;

2. Apparatus .as defined by claim 1 wherein each of istadapted to seatagainst an annu-lar face which is formed in said housing so as tosurround the associated one of said passages whereby any foreign mattermoving through said'pump and lodging. between said pad and face will notcause amalfunction of said flapper valve members. 3. Apparatus asdefined by claim ztwhereinsaid inlet, passage communicates with that endof the said pumping 7 unit bore that is disposed "opposite from saiddiaphragm; and wherein said outlet passage communicates with. the

side of the 'said pumping unit bore. 7 t

4. Apparatus as definedby claim 1 wherein said crank means includes acollar which is eccentric ally secured to said' shaftand a connectingring 'rotatably mounted on said collar. I i

5. Apparatusas and operatively coupled to said crank means for pumpingresponse to the rotary oscillation "of said pendulum and shaft. 7 V t iReferences Cited by the Examiner 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,493,050 1/50-Weir 103 71 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,696 2/36 Australia;

LAURENCE v. EFNER, Primary Examiner.

defined by claim 2: additionally comprising at least oneadditional-pumping unit, similar to the first mentioned pumping unit,and disposed in said housing I

1. A GRAVITY ACTUATED PUMP: COMPRISING A MAIN HOUSING; A SUBSTANTIALLYVERTICALLY DISPOSED SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID MAIN HOUSING; ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PENDULUM SECURED TO SAID SHAFT, SAIDPENDULUM BEING FREE TO SWING UNDER THE ACTION OF GRAVITY WHEN SAIDHOUSING IS TILTED THEREBY ROTATABLY ACTUATING SAID SHAFT; CRANK MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT; AT LEAST ONE PUMPING UNIT DISPOSED IN SAIDHOUSING AND OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID CRANK MEANS SO AS TO BE ACTUATEDIN RESPONSE TO THE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT; SAID PUMPING UNITCOMPRISING A RESILIENT DIAPHRAGM THAT SEALINGLY COVERS ONE END OF A BOREFORMED IN SAID HOUSING, AND A CONNECTING ROD SECURED AT ONE TO THECENTRAL PORTION OF SAID DIAPHRAGM AND COUPLED AT THE OTHER EFFECTIVE ENDTHEREOF TO SAID CRANK MEANS; SAID HOUSING HAVING INLET AND OUTLET FLUIDCONDUCTING PASSAGES FORMED THEREIN EACH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PUMPINGUNIT; A FIRST ONE WAY FLAPPER VALVE MEMBER ATTACHED AT ONE SIDE THEREOFTO SAID HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO SWING TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM AN INLETPASSAGE BLOCKING POSITION SO AS TO PERMIT ONLY A FLUID INLET FLOWTHROUGH SAID INLET PASSAGE TO SAID PUMPING UNIT; AND A SECOND ONE WAYFLAPPER VALVE MEMBER ATTACHED AT ONE SIDE THEREOF TO SAID HOUSING ANDADAPTED TO SWING TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM AN OUTLET PASSAGE BLOCKINGPOSITION SO AS TO PERMIT ONLY A FLUID OUTLET FLOW THROUGH SAID OUTLETPASSAGE FROM SAID PUMPING UNIT.